ReBirth ReVerse Arc
by Yumiii
Summary: It's Too Late. Questions after questions nothing seems to end. The moons are getting closer and the killings aren't stopping either. Right after they got their weapons, they find her dead. Why?
1. Prologue

**ReBirth ReVerse Arc: Prologue**

The long-haired redhead paced in the room as if her life depended on it. Unfortunately the room was not accommodating the distance she had walked wall to wall. The stands and cupboards horribly positioned in the room had not helped either and there were occasional times where she took a detour around one or two wheeled-stands. Time to time she would peer through the small glass window into a room. Apart from a small indent where the door was, the entire wall and ceiling were ivory-tiled. However, her attention was more drawn towards the four grey pods which were hanging by a thickened black wire.

The door in the room and she averted her gaze to the man who walked in slowly. She detested the ugly white lab coat he wore, but the person who wore it held a different view of hers. The man gave a rub to his fairly bushy chin which was kept suspiciously clean as he took a spot beside the lady.

"It's been a while", he said, looking into the room.

The woman nodded in silent agreement as she placed her hand on the glass screen which separated her from her old… comrades. She shook her head at the thought of being unable to give the people a proper position in her life. They were hardly acquaintances since they knew each other for at least two years. However, they were in no place as friends as the interaction between them were always motive based. Except for an occasional invitation to dinner from one of them, other topics left untouched. A sense of remorse washed over her as she wished that they had communicated more.

"Don't worry, Manx. They will awake soon", Richard offered a little consolation. He strolled over to four monitoring screens which beeped at every systole beat. Each of the screens sounded at different timings, each slow but rhythmic but messy when put together. "Their progress is satisfactory", he commented after hitting a single button on the keyboard in front of him. The monitor switch to showing a data of level of gas intake each person had to require and smiled at the tables.

"Is it really a good choice to be doing such thing?" Manx asked, sliding her finger on the glass. From her view, she was placing her hand over the area where she would not be able to see the pods. "All their memories… abilities…"

"If you recall carefully, Manx", Richard cleared his throat and continuing only when Manx had her full attention to him. "Their memories are only temporarily sealed. When the time comes they will remember who they are and what they were. Along with that, they will come to understand what we had done was to benefit them." The scientist turned away from the computer system and walked over to a glass cupboard and opened it. "I know I shouldn't be showing you but…"

Curious, Manx went around the stands and she paused wherever she had been standing when her companion turned around. In his hands were several objects. There were two Japanese swords which were exact replicas of each other, sheathed in a single cover which had a traditional dragon coiled around it. One top of the swords was a whip which was unfamiliar to the lady. The clothed hilt held together nine lines, in which somehow glittered in the dim lighting of the room.

"As for their abilities", the man started. "Have no worries. They are re-programmed to be able to wield something even stronger than anyone can imagine."

"What about the other two? Don't they possess weapons as well?"

Richard placed the objects back into the cupboard and closed it gently, hearing a soft click before removing his hands. "The other two are special. Their strength is an input of their body. To be nice, I'd say they are gifted a little more than the others."

"Input of their body?"

Richard waved a hand in dismissal of the question and Manx said nothing more. "You will find out soon enough. For now, let us watch over them as God would over us."

Manx's gaze returned to the pods and it softened as she looked at the people's faces. Then, she looked up at the monitor and read the names thoroughly. From the moment they are released, they would have a new name to live by. She swore to herself she would never forget their real ones, just in case they would theirs. If that happened, she wanted to be the first to tell them their true names.

As she lip-read, she matched the names to the corresponding people. In her head, she made up a small clip-board image with their real names and their given names, side by side…

_Fujimiya Ran – Itsuki Toya_

_Kudou Yoji – Yukita Seki_

_Hidaka Ken – Uchigawa Ryo_

_Tsukiyono Omi – Uchigawa Hikaru_

getting used to their new names are.. a little tough at first. but through their character i;m sure you can tell who's who... anyway no worries. as mentioned their names are going to revert back to the real ones when they gain their memories back. this story is supernatural by the way, meaning a little salt and pepper of say... zombies, werewolves, vampires etc. just a warning.

as for... shounen-ai... i'm not sure if i'll get around to that. you tell me.


	2. Tonight

**ReBirth ReVerse Arc: Tonight**

_**Name: Itsuki Toya**_

_**Age: 21**_

_**Occupation: Lawyer**_

_**Weapon: Duo Katana – Crescent Rose**_

_**Ability: Teleportation, Telepathic**_

_**Fauna: **__**Minagoroshi Bokusochi no Jigoku Taneuma**_

_**(Inferno **__**Stallion of Massacre Pastures)**_

I breathed into the cold air and took no heed to the vapor forming. The tiny cloud dissipated after a moment and dropped my head while my hand pulled up the scarf to shield my seemingly numb lips. Taking a night walk around the neighborhood to let some muscle loose had always been a favorable hobby of mine, especially after a night's work of verbal warfare against boisterous opponents.

The night was far from young. The last I checked, it was about seven minutes to midnight. I glanced up at the dark sky and made out several grey puffs as clouds, and the three-quart moon which peeped from behind. A soft squishing noise caught my attention and from behind my glasses I peered forward at an oncoming passer-by.

It was a brunette and he was jogging despite the cold, dressed in a thick sweater but running in knee-length shorts and running white shoes. He trampled the inch-high snow as he moved, leaving an obvious path behind. He came to notice my presence when we were closer and he nodded as a sign of a greeting.

Being gracious, I nodded back, before tapping a little into what I could do. When he passed, I could hear him 'speak', however his mouth had not moved to it. He was busy panting. By the time he took another step forward, I could 'hear' him say: 'That's a weird guy, wearing sunnies at night.'

I chuckled softly into my scarf and reached up, taking my glasses off. Indeed, they were not meant for the night where there was no sun to screen, but it had always been a habit of mine to wear them nevertheless. I guess the purpose of wearing it was to actually shield my own eyes from others. Not many people I know fancied the unnatural violet of them. Occasionally I would lie and claimed they were contacts, but on a long term many people suspected it wasn't.

Of course, there were people who positively commented the rare color. If I remember correctly, the last person in my family line who had violet eyes was my maternal great grandmother. Aya, my younger sister, had navy blue ones which were that of both my parents. The only thing keeping me from truly wearing other colored contact lenses was Aya, who insisted I left my eyes the way they were. Out of the love for her, I complied.

Before I proceeded to return home, I gave the sky another minute of my attention. The clouds had shifted from their previous position and left the moon exposed like a vulnerable baby. The fake light of the satellite hardly lit up a road and I went back to depending on the dim, but somehow useful roadside lamps to light my way home.

_**Name: Yukita Seki**_

_**Age: 22**_

_**Occupation: Forensic**__** Doctor**_

_**Weapon: Whip – Cat O'nine tales**_

_**Ability: Empathic, Memorial touch**_

_**Fauna: **__**Uragi Minato no Shirunshi Ojika**_

_**(Insignia Stag of Betrayal Port)**_

I heaved a long sigh before reaching over to a steel plate on the door with a gloved hand and pushing it. Immediately, a wave of the scent of dying flesh hit my senses and I snorted a little. The smell was not unfamiliar, but it never ceased to make me groan. It's hard to describe a job you enjoy doing yet hate to accomplish. A forensic doctor… I wonder what possessed me when I chose this job.

Walking around a steel bed, I eyed the body which was draped by a white cloth. Picking a corner near the silhouette of the head, I pulled back the white linen and stared down at the pale face of a brunette lady who seemed to be in her late twenties. Along one of her cheeks was a red, fresh cut with dried blood. Removing one of my gloves, I did what I always do.

Not bothering to go through the old routine of taking a deep breath and preparing for the worst to come, I got myself accustomed to just coming into straight contact and get over and done with it. Upon the touch of my fingers and her forehead, my mind swelled with images whirling past my vision.

They scattered the same way when one tossed a hundred, no maybe a thousand, different photos in your face. Every corner you look is a print of the person's memory, drifting like fallen leaves. I picked out the relevant information I needed, ignoring useless things like the childhood recollections. I only needed the recent past.

Pulling back, I sniffed at the knowledge I had just received and walked over to a tap, flicking it on and briefly watered my hand and rubbing my fingers together. While doing so I glanced out the window which faced a grass quad in the middle of the Forensic Department buildings. After a moment I came to notice the sky where the stars were in hiding today, but the moon chose to stay.

The clouds had just floated away in time to reveal the plump-looking moon. I shifted my glasses on my head to make sure they were kept stable and pulled off the green band holding my shoulder-length hair together. I tossed the band to the side of the basin and removed the other glove, placing them beside my hair tie.

I proceeded on to pushing the cold, steel table to a corner where I would leave it. After I exit the room the newer workers would do the slightly taxing job of transferring the corpse to the ice room where it would remain for another week or so for further examination. Now, however, I will return to the main room and write down all the information collected.

_**Name: Uchigawa Ryo**_

_**Age: 19**_

_**Occupation: University Student, Middle School Soccer Coach**_

_**Weapon: In-built Diamond-Steel Alloy Blades**_

_**Ability: Manipulation of Cellular Structures**_

_**Fauna: **__**Hakihan Mori no Shiro Hyo**_

_**(White Panther of Segregate Forest)**_

Taking a detour route was not as efficient as I thought. Due to the road works I thought I'd act smart and take another route. It was supposed to bring me back to the street where my house was at but unfortunately the buildings stretched longer than I expected. True enough, I found an alleyway leading back to Main Street, but it had wasted almost fifteen minutes of my time and stamina.

On my way there though, I came in contact with another person. It was rare to see someone walking out late at night. Well, at least someone who wasn't in ragged clothes or smelling like garbage. It happened to be a well dressed guy who looked to be in his early twenties, but I couldn't tell clearly as half his face was hidden behind a scarf. Not to mention, the horrible lightings of the streets only allowed a dim level of brightness.

I managed to catch the color of his hair though. It was blood red. Talk about hair color fashion, isn't that red a little daunting? I highly doubted it was natural though. Another thing, that's a weird guy, wearing sunnies at night. As I passed him I gave that thought as I only managed to see the specs when I was closer.

Shrugging at the memory I continued to jog, feeling the strength of my legs depleting and my stomach lazily relaxing. I slowed to a walk by the time I reached the door of my apartment. I looked up to see the lights of my place still on and I frowned, ready to give someone a little bit of reprimanding.

Before I entered the small hallway, a tiny attraction had me looking up at the moon. It was nothing new, just a plain white orb in the sky. There were clouds about to blind it and I jumped when I heard a loud but trailing craw of a bird. I glared at a crow which perched on top of the roadside lamp and retreated into the warmth of the building.

_**Name: Uchigawa Hikaru**_

_**Age: 16**_

_**Occupation: High School Student**_

_**Weapon: Pine Needles formed by Blood**_

_**Ability: Manipulation of Pine Needles upon Will**_

_**Fauna: **__**Hantai Taki no Kori Tsubame**_

_**(Iced Swallow of Reverse**__** Falls)**_

Stifling a yawn when you're tired is hard, I came to realize. I covered my mouth, nevertheless, before grabbing the cup at the corner of my table. Feeling it was empty, I groaned and got up from my cross-legged position on my chair and headed to the kitchen to top it up. I drank as I returned to my room, reluctantly slumping over my math work. There was a test tomorrow but because of the homework of my other subjects I had little time to study it.

Then, a thought hit me. How do you actually study for math anyway? I gave another sigh and closed my textbook, stuffing it into my backpack. I peered down at my watch and it informed me that it was past midnight and that I am an hour late for bedtime. Also, my brother would be back soon and if he finds me awake he'd give me an earful.

I crossed my arms under my head and sleepily gaze up at the moon. Half of the three quarter moon was hidden behind an oncoming cloud and I noticed a single star twinkled from out of no where. Then, the star gave a sudden dart and I became a little more active for about a minute where I decided to play superficial and did the 'wishing upon a shooting star' thing, my hands clasped with each other, closing my eyes and stuff like that.

After that, I went back to laying my head on my arms, staring out the window which was right in front of my study desk. I gave a small smile and slowly closed my eyes, too lazy to move from my current spot.

I vaguely heard the main door click open and my brother stepping into the apartment.


	3. No Reason

**ReBirth ReVerse Arc: ****No Reason**

A pair of violet eyes looked up to the sky behind dark shades. Apart from the shadowed vision, the mildly tinted-blue glass had enhanced the shady eyesight and Toya, in order to get a better look, took off his sunglasses. He stared up at an orb which everyone was clear belonged to the sky, but not at this time of the day. Turning around, he managed to find a white wall-clock which read the time if mid-day, where the sun would be at its highest. Then, he turned back to the infinite skies where, apart from the sun, was the moon.

His colleagues and boss who had been chatting amongst themselves noticed the empty stare outside and took a glance out of curiosity. However, saw nothing worth of interest. One of the men coughed to get the redhead's attention, successful when Toya faced them. He gave a small bow in apology, side-glancing at the moon.

"If I may ask a question which has no relation to the upcoming case…" Toya asked and waited for a reply. His colleagues threw looks at each other, and took an obvious peer at their watches in consideration, before nodding.

Toya gave his own nod of thanks and directed their attention to the sky. "What do you see out there?"

The men gave puzzled looks, but one gave a reply, sounding as if everything was evident before their eyes. "The clouds and the sun, of course."

Toya placed his shades back on before looking out again. "I see."

"Is something the matter?" Another man asked.

"No. I believe my eyes had fooled me for a moment." However, he was sure they were not. He could see the moon out there.

"Well, let's hope it doesn't affect your ability to think", Masahiro, one of the more arrogant one scoffed, and Toya refrained from glaring at him. Although he could have done it easily without being noticed, he would rather not push his luck.

"Back to work, men", the boss of the three, Ryoutarou, announced and the four settled on the velvet couches around a small coffee table where they laid out the files of the forthcoming case which would occur in about an hour.

"I apologize once more for the hurried request of your presences, Itsuki. Masahiro could have dealt with it efficiently, but if it weren't for the sudden change in details I would leave him be."

"It's not a problem", Toya replied frankly. He chose to ignore the envious glare from the said man.

"Here is what happened. Three days ago, a woman's body was found in Tokyo River. It had been put into a net and accompanied by a heavy rock, but was found when on of the small boats had the net caught in the propeller. It had been clearly classified as murder according to the forensic doctor in charge and today we would be meeting the killer in person; Bill Route.

"The only problem is we hold no proof. Along with that, another man is also placed as a suspect when he came to the police station two hours back, proclaiming that he was the killer. What we found, these two men had no relation whatsoever, but the latter who claimed himself as Akechi, effortlessly spilled out every detail of how, when and why he had killed the woman.

"We had a discussion with the forensic doctor and he insisted that Akechi was a fraud one way or another. According to him, his conjecture had never failed. True enough, all the information he provided through his deductions lead to an astounding ninety-nine percent accuracy, so we are caught in a dilemma in believing a renowned doctor and imprisoning a possible guiltless man."

Toya gave sigh. The thing about his company, they enjoyed pushing the ultimate cases to him. While there are others like Masahiro who enjoyed being in the spotlight as much as possible, he had to put up with his nonsense after trials that he had taken over from this man. It was considerably often, averaging at two of every five the man got. Most were under the big boss's orders, so he could only sulk in a corner and grumble. However, peeking into his head he found out that Masahiro has the impression that bribing stole his attention. He gave another sigh.

"Will the doctor be present?" The redhead asked, keeping the previous thoughts out of his head.

"Yes. He will be here shortly before the case starts."

"A little background information on him, please?"

Masahiro, being the biggest know-it-all, cut into the other colleague's line and smirked. "Yukita Seki. He's twenty-two and had been working in the Main Forensic Department for the past nine months."

"That's pretty young for someone who holds such crucial post", Toya commented and Masahiro took a good chance to glare.

"You are a little light on the balance as well", his boss laughed and Toya nodded sheepishly.

"Anyway", Masahiro coughed. "Some people said he had this unusual power of being able to see the past of something he touches, thus can confidently give all his deduction without fail. Oddly, most of these had a high success rate in taking down the true culprits."

"Why do I have a feeling you're trying to take this case to prove him wrong?"

"Because", Masahiro growled. "He's an arrogant, cool-acting bastard."

Talk about hypocrite, Toya thought at the back of his head.

The four continued their discussion when it was about time for the prosecution. When they stood up, they heard the main door of the door open roughly, followed by it slamming against the wall with a loud bang. They looked over to see a ragged man stumbling into the hall way and two bigger, beefier men in tuxedos grabbed him by his arms and hoisted him to his feet.

Toya frowned at the form of attire the man chose to wear into court. It consisted of a tattered white top which was now grey with time and brown pants which were shreds at the edge. A pair of toeless sneakers accompanied him. The redhead turned away even before looking at the face. Unfortunately, the image was stuck in his head where long and dirty strands of hair wafted about messily. He rubbed his head at the memory of the man's bushy beard

As the man passed, a stench clouded the hallway and the men politely covered the lower halves of their faces as if they were preventing some coughing germs from spreading.

"And that person is…?"

Everyone kept silent, until Ryou'un offered the answer: "Akechi."

Toya threw an unbelieving look at his colleague who said the name. He glanced to the three men who were a short distance ahead, close to the court doors. He grimaced at the possible thought of this being the true murderer. He never used his ability unless for a true need, but he might want to apprehend this trial with its help. It interested him to know how the case would progress, though.

The main door creaked open again and once more, the attention was to the door. A tall, curly-haired blond stepped in. Dressed in a white, knee-length trench coat and black boots, he had not look like a person who was attending court. Toya thought otherwise when the man walked over to the small group and pulled off his sunglasses. The first thing which struck them was the emerald in his eyes, and the redhead was dumbfounded when the person standing before him was somehow… familiar.

"So, are you men going to be with me, or against?" He asked, and Toya discretely shifted away from the scent of cigarette smoke.

"Presuming that you are the great Yukita Seki, of course." Masahiro smiled with a hand out. Seki stared down at the hand and pulled his hand out from his pocket pretended not to see the hand, pulling out a cigarette pack. He jerked the pack and one white, cylindrical tube popped up halfway and he took it into his mouth.

"Don't smoke in here", Toya blurted softly by accident as he absolutely detested the smell of it. The blond side-glanced at him but the other stood his ground, partially glaring behind his own shades. "Please", he added a little later on when he realized he sounded rude, also due to his superior giving him a disapproving look.

The blonde's eyes fell close and he gave a soft chuckle. He proceeded to taking the cigarette out of his mouth and breaking it into half using his thumb and two fore-fingers. Bits of tobacco fell to the carpeted flooring and Seki dumped the two halves into an ashtray on the small table.

"Well, shall we proceed?" Seki asked.

"Yes, the Judge would be here shortly. I'm Takenaga Ryutarou", the oldest said. "This is my secretary, Ryou'un. Masahiro Ichi was the initial person in charge of handling today's case, but I handed it down to Itsuki Toya."

Seki nodded. "Shall we?"

Ryutarou gave a nod to Toya who bowed slightly. Ryou'un followed the boss while Masahiro chose to stay behind and played jury. He went off right after the two leaving made their way out of the hallway, leaving the two behind.

"To what extent are you sure that it was Route who had murdered the woman?" Toya asked as he flipped through the corner of the papers in a file.

Seki gave a shrug. "A hundred and ten percent; it's up to you whether you wish to put the effort in helping me make sure the correct man is caught."

"They say you base your assumptions by 'memory touch'."

"Facts, actually", the other corrected. "What I see, or saw for that matter, is what the person or thing had 'experienced'. No past can lie."

Toya sniffed at the man's confidence. "But telling Judge what you 'saw' is not hard proof. The basic statement against your ability is that you could be making it up and making false accusations."

The blonde paused for a while, staring at the lawyer.

"What?"

"You don't sound like you doubt the aptitude of what I can do."

The redhead stiffened. Had he made it too obvious?

Seki gave a laugh and patted the shoulder of the shorter man. "Come on. Judges are not very patient people."

Toya blinked at the sudden change of attitude. Abruptly, he brushed his shoulder and walked after the blonde.

When he entered the Court Room, he took a seat at one of the lower panels. He glanced around to take a quick note of whom and where the people were seated. It was always crucial to know who sat where. After a small scan, he took note of the slightly more important people: Seki had himself settled in the lowest corner, six people away. Akechi was placed in the small confinement to his upper right. The supposed Route family of a mother and a boy were directly behind Akechi, the looks on their faces were worrisome and full of tension. The victim's parents were right behind him. He knew both families would play a major part in this case, soon enough.

After about two minutes of settling, an officer announced the arrival of Judge. Toya stood up as any other members in the room along with the family members and jury, but from the corner of his eyes saw that Seki had not. He frowned at the disrespect the man was showing, before giving a bow as the man with the highest authority stepped in.

Only when the officer shouted 'at ease' did he sit back down. Looking up at the man who had a silver mask over his eyes, it was always a wonder why this person, whom everyone just calls 'Judge', never fails to wear that half-faced mask. Some said his intelligence had cost him his sight when a vengeful criminal wanted revenge. Others said he wore it for the safety of not being able to recognize outside. Toya had chosen not to pry into his mind; the man looked dangerous.

"Bring in the suspect, Bill Route", a low, computerized voice said in the room.

To the left where a barred panel was, a Caucasian man in his late forties stepped out. Toya guessed he was an army-type, seeing all those bulges under the tight top. Refreshing his memory on the information of the man, he took a deep breath and consciously slowed his heart rate.

"Bill Route", Judge said, through the computer mechanism. "You are a suspect in the murder of Louille McFraser. Do you, or not, plea guilty?"

"I do not", Route replied immediately in a gruff, thickly American-accented voice. "Look, man there had said he's guilty, so why am I guilt?"

Toya processed the influent Japanese flowing from the man. Route would not be an easy man to take down, but he could tackle the man in any language possible.

Judge nodded and turned to the file that was on his desk even before the trial had started. "According to the McFraser, you were Louille's lover for five months. However, she found out you had a family and broke up with you approximately two weeks back."

"No shit", Toya heard the American swore in English. He reverted back to the local language: "Yeah, big deal. So I was sad and stuff but it didn't mean I killed her."

Judge raised a hand in consideration of the man's feelings and called out Yukita to step forth. "Before we start anything further, Yukita-san, may you please describe the condition of the victim?"

Seki went down to the middle panel and glanced over at Route, who was intensively glaring at the Japanese. "Her main death was due to a cut across her throat. Before that she had suffered minor scratches along her face and arms. Despite being thrown in water, there are visible dried stains on elbows, feet and back, which suggest that she was somewhere muddy or soiled."

"Are there traces of skin fragments, hair or any objects nearby?"

"Shouldn't you ask the investigators? I'm only in charge of the body", Seki replied, frankly.

"Oh yes, my apologies. Do continue", he said as he snapped his fingers. One of the officers by his side walked out of the room.

"Judging by the thickness and coarse outline of the cuts, there is a possibility that the blade used was an army knife. That is all I can say for now." Even without Judge's consent, he stepped down from the panel and walked back to his seat.

"Route, what do you think about it? There is a record of you being in the army for about ten years before you migrated to Japan."

"Pft, big deal? It doesn't mean I have an army knife. I mean, your men searched my house. Apart from kitchen knives, there weren't anything else."

"Knife!" Akechi suddenly blurted and the whole court turned their attention to him. "I killed Louille… Louille… An army knife, across her throat in the park… I'm guilty!"

The whole court started chattering amongst themselves and Toya noticed something not right. He recalled that Route was in custody for the past twenty-four hours. What Takenaga had mentioned, Akechi stepped up a few hours back. Seeing the mental state this man is in, it is not highly possible that Route hired this man to go in his place…

"Your honor, if I may speak to Akechi", Toya said as he stood up. "In private."

He saw Route throwing him a disbelieving look.

"Very we-"

"Hey!" Route shouted and clenched the bars. "You sick fuck! That guy there already said he was guilty! What are you trying to pull?!" He fought against the two officers who were equally built as him and pushed him back down into his seat.

Toya sniffed at the man's rudeness and looked at Judge who just nodded his head this time. The redhead exited the room while Akechi was escorted out as well.

Seki watched the man leave, wondering what he was up to.

"We will continue. The Route family, please."

The blond yawned at the dull words. Route's wife was explaining in a timid voice how her husband cannot possibly be the murderer as he was with her, at home at the estimated time of death of Louille. Route seemed content the entire time that his wife was helping him despite the adultery he had committed before.

Time had passed oddly slow and he was about to fall asleep, eyelids drooping when he heard the court door swing open. In came the redhead and Akechi hobbling behind. He noticed that Toya was not walking as firmly as when he left. He looked a little tired. Curious, he sat up and watched Akechi walk into the spot he was some time back.

"Murder… Murderer..." Akechi uttered and pointed to Route.

Everyone in the room got their voices working and it became so noisy that Judge silenced the room. "Akechi, can you repeat yourself?"

"R-Route… Murdered. I… was bribed", he said again.

Seki turned his head and looked at Toya who had a hand on his forehead. He had a look of distraught washed across his face and the blond heard a little something which caught his attention, after Judged had asked why Akechi had accepted the bribe.

"I poor… prison… maybe better life…"

"That's a lie!" Route roared, grasping the bars again. "You crazy man! Don't accuse the wrong!"

Seki heard a soft crying noise and looked over his shoulder to see Route's wife and boy were sobbing softly.

"Is that it?" Judge's voice asked as the head turned to the accused.

Route glared and looked up at the open top of the bars. Immediately he climbed over the bar in a swift move, too quick for the guards to catch him. The American jumped down and pulled out a Swiss army knife from his side pocket and charged to the Judge.

The group of people in the room scattered, screaming while the officers who tried to defend Judge had their throats slit even before they knew it. Route caught up to Judge and placed the knife at his neck.

"Call off the trial!" He demanded, but Judge said nothing. "I said, 'call off the trial'!"

Suddenly, the heel of a boot crashed into the side of the American's head. Route tumbled to the floor in agony and Seki kicked away the knife, reaching down and picking the guy up by his shirt.

"It's kind of sad that you killed her", Seki growled. "You did not know how much pain she went through because she loved you."

Route's face changed to something like shock.

"She left you so that you would learn to take better care of your own family. Who knew, you chose to kill her instead", he hissed softly. The blond let go of the top and threw the guy back down to the floor, stepping away.

"And you took the liberty of getting your wife to bribe the old man as well", he added on a few seconds later.

Route laid there dumbfounded even when he was picked up by the guards. He was brought into the back and Seki looked around in the room where there were only him, Judge, Route's family crying in a corner Akechi slumped on the panel, and Toya who was standing behind hi, looking down at him.

The blond said nothing else and proceeded to walk out of the room. When he was in the empty hallway, he heard the suspiciously quiet footsteps behind him and saw Toya approaching. He turned around to face the redhead who was panting slightly even though the distance covered was short.

Toya placed his hand out. "For a thanking purpose. You did save Judge, after all."

"You must really respect him to be thanking me in his place."

The redhead gave a tiny smile sheepishly but nodded. He looked up at Seki who returned with a smile and removed his hand from his pocket, this time without a cigarette pack.

Both hands reached closer, but upon a touch, both of them felt a sharp twinge in their heads.

The blond grimaced at the pain. When he opened his eyes he saw the familiar shutter of visions and his eyes widened. He had always been able to control his ability and choose whether or not to see one's past. However, the past of the redhead's flowed into his head. The most recent one was during the trial. He had been controlling Akechi to say those words. They were facts, but he had to manipulate the man to say it. The blond easily came to a conclusion that the man was some sort of a telepath.

However, he cringed when a different inflow crossed his path: the sight of two people dead on the floor, the explosion of a house followed by a car hitting a young lady. The blond hissed at the emotions which were hitting him like a crashing wave, and felt like he could only breathe when the images faded away.

Seki blinked to focus his vision. What he saw first was the empty hallway, Toya missing. Feeling a soft weight on his foot he looked down and was taken aback when he found the redhead on the floor, unmoving. He dropped to the ground, shaking the person and looking around, calling out for help.

He glanced down at the unconscious person on the floor. That moment something made his attention turn to the skies. He stood there staring out the glass, despite being partially blinded by the sun. Seki eyed an orb in the sky which should not be visible in broad daylight. Not only that it was not supposed to be there, it wasn't even the right color.

Even with the tinted glass bending the colors outside, he could tell the moon was red.

--

A/N: I'm not politics person. If I get the info of the court wrong… well. Be nice. I don't take negative feedback very nicely… btw the story has yet to end don't hit the back button yet…

--

Hikaru stretched upwards, arms raised to the skies and elongating his back as much as he can go before relaxing with a sigh. He looked into the distance as a brunette who had swiftly and successfully ducked between a small gap between two defenders and he gave a cheer when his older brother gave a kick perfectly unstoppable. The blond smiled and waved back when Ryo did so, and continued watching the older teen back away and prepared for the defense side.

The other players on the soccer field immediately charged for the ball which had gone astray from its intended path and Hikaru gave a wince when one of the players got a nasty foul by kicking an opponent from the back. An apology was made among friends who laughed it off.

Hikaru averted his head when a hand landed on his shoulder and he looked up to see a yellow-haired blond smiling down at him. He smiled back and shifted aside to let his friend have a seat among the piles of bags belonging to the players.

"How long has the game started for?" Ariocanas asked as he settled down.

The blond shrugged. "About ten minutes I think…"

He peered over at his high school mate. Although he had known Ariocanas for a while now, the blond never cease to amaze him. He was wearing a black sleeveless top which had an inverted v-cut from the third button, clearly showing off that flat tummy. A black choker with a thin dangling cross had two thin chains connected to the rim of the set of black arm sleeves which took the length of his arm. To make him look even more out of place, the visibly tight leather pants was dangerously low and the blond noticed that the strapped boots Ariocanas was wearing were even heeled. Don't forget the really dark shades.

Ariocanas waved a hand in front of the blond's face, and Hikaru blinked.

"Intimidated, are you?" Ariocanas sneered. He stood up shook his butt, which result him in getting pushed away by his laughing friend.

Physically, he was taller than he was, but shorter than Ryo. He was pale, slender and downright too pretty for a guy. His slightly past shoulder-length hair was streaked with red and blue but their teachers never said anything about the inappropriate hairstyle…

"Go, Ryo, go!" Ariocanas suddenly yelled at the top of his lungs, raising his fist into the air and Hikaru laughed even more when his brother had taken a glance over before getting distracted and crashed into another player.

"Oopsie", Ariocanas laughed and gave a sheepish wave to the brunette who was a little close to glaring at the blond.

When the game was over, the players and spectator of two sat around on the hillside overlooking the field and started chatting among themselves and quenching thirst, if not munching away on some sort of food.

Hikaru noticed a few of Ryo's friends attempting to hit on the 'chick' and secretly laughed at their expressions when Ariocanas openly announced he was a dude. However, he hid his face in his hands in embarrassment when his friend just had unnecessarily proven it. He heard his brother coughing by the sidelines and messily downing a bottle of energy drink.

Ariocanas was snickering at the guys who turned away as he buttoned his shirt back up. He dropped down by Hikaru's side and tapped the blond's head.

"Yo, you okay in there?"

Hikaru gave a sarcastic laugh and swatted away the other's hand. "So why are you here? Taking a walk or something?"

"Nay, just passing", Ariocanas replied. "Happen to see you from a short distance away." The others stared at him and the blond stared back. "What?"

"How come none of us saw you then? I mean, either side of the soccer field is fenced and behind the hill is a huge pond. How did you get to this side without crossing the soccer filed?"

"Oh I have my ways", Ariocanas coughed.

Ryo, who was sitting on Hikaru's left, eyed the blond carefully. He had never really consented his younger brother to mix around with this… unearthly being. Ariocanas was far from the norm. Well, not that anyone is normal but the blond was weirder than weird. It was only because Hikaru was highly attached and dependent of this friend that he had yet to say anything. In any way, Ariocanas creeps him out with his overly friendly attitude and 'unique' dress sense.

The brunette turned away and left the two high-schoolers to rattle among themselves as he raised his head with his drink angled towards the sky. As he was drinking, his eyes sealed a little to keep the sunlight out but something red caught his attention. Taking the bottle away, he used a hand as a cap to shield his eyes as they focused on a round, crimson orb.

"What the hell…?" He uttered.

Hikaru heard his brother and looked at him, following his gaze and also froze at the sight of the red circle.

"It that the moon?"

"Why is it red?"

"Oi, you two!" One of the soccer players yelled at the two brothers and they both snapped their heads towards him. "What are you two babbling about? There's no moon or anything red in the sky."

"It's there!" Ryo hissed back, pointing at the position of the satellite. All the brunette's friends looked over at the supposed position of the 'moon' and saw nothing, giving a shrug. "Hikaru, you see it too, right?"

The blond could feel weary eyes on him and he reluctantly nodded.

"It must be some joke, Ryo. Anyway, it ain't funny, man", another player said uncomfortably as he stood up and slinging his bag over his shoulder. "See ya around, man."

The others also took to retreating away from the site and Ryo gave an annoyed growl. He threw his drink bottle into the distance and it gave a clattering noise before falling onto the grass.

"Nii…" Hikaru said softly and patted the brunette on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry. I don't know why I'm so pissed but-"

"Because they didn't believe you", the blond's voice cut in. Ryo and Hikaru looked at Ariocanas who slowly stood up, looking up at the sky. "It's common, isn't it? When you try to convince someone it's this fact, but they choose to believe something else?"

"Ario, what are you talking about?"

Ariocanas raised his hand out and pointed exactly at where the moon was. "That is the moon… but not the one of this world."

"What are you talking about?" Ryo pushed himself up, looking as if he was reading to confront something.

The blond just gave a smile. "How far do you think _you_ will believe?"

"Believe what? Ario, you're scaring me. What is going on?" Hikaru asked in a pleading voice.

Ariocanas removed his shades and glanced at the two brothers, keeping his gaze towards them. Ryo froze and Hikaru gasped as they watch the blond's eyes ripple from sea-green color to sapphire, very much alike the other teen's.

"It's hard to explain everything right now", Ariocanas said as he folded the specs and slot one of the lengths in his pocket. "And I don't want to take the trouble of repeating myself."

Ryo grabbed the blond by the front of his top and growled in his face. "I insist that you say everything, _now_."

"Nii! Let go of him!" Hikaru held onto his bother's lower arm, slightly pushing it down. The brunette grunted in annoyance and released his grip.

"It's not that I don't want to tell you… It's just that you're not ready for it yet." Ariocanas raked his hair back from his face, giving a slightly bored look. "But I guess to ease you, or more like to prepare you, I'll just let you in on a little something." He signaled for Ryo to come over, in which the brunette did hesitantly.

"Do it."

Ryo gave a confused look. "Do what?"

"What you can do", he pointed to the back of his hand. "Go on."

"How did you-" Ryo gave a sudden cry when he felt his hand shaking and pulsing. His other hand grabbed his wrist as he hunched over to concentrate on keeping his mind focused. The veins on the back of his hands started to bulge significantly before his fist started to bleed from a tiny spot on top of his knuckles. "Stop…" He hissed.

"Nii!" Hikaru watched helplessly, looking from his brother to his friend. "Ario what is going on?!" He cried out, but the blond was not fazed.

The brunette gave a long cry as his right arm jerked. Four blades extended from the top of his knuckles, lengthened to about thrice the length of the back of his hand. The middle of each blade had a small chip in the shape of a sharp tooth while the end had a small curve. Blood tricked into the clevises of his fist and a sigh escaped.

"You know about this too, don't you?" Ariocanas asked Hikaru. The blond bit his lip and nodded.

Ariocanas reached down and lifted the bladed hand but Ryo pulled back. The brunette grabbed the blond by the collar again and drew him close until their faces were inches apart. However, the ends of his claws were pressed dangerously against the exposed naval.

"Start. Explaining", Ryo growled each word.

"This thingamajig here", Ariocanas tapped the silver blade. "Is what I call your weapon."

"Stop bullshitting. I know it can be a weapon, but how and why is it in me?"

"How, I can't answer. As for they 'why' part, it's because you _will_ need it."

"In what way?"

Ariocanas smiled and Ryo frowned a bit. He felt a hand over his lower arm and his eyes widened when the blond had pulled his arm, driving his claws into the middle. Ariocanas cringed a little and heard his friend gasping. He forced a smile and slowly pulled back, stepping away from the brunette.

Ryo remained there frozen. He stared at the blond who dropped his head back and was panting a little. Sub-consciously, his weapons retracted back into him.

"Oh god, I'm going to call the ambulance", Hikaru stammered. Ariocanas was still bleeding from the wound and a generous amount of blood was staining the grass crimson. The blond was about the punch the numbers on his phone when Ariocanas' hand went over the phone screen.

"I'm fine."

"No you're not! You're-" He paused when his friend brushed his middle, smudging away the blood and revealing the firm stomach once more. "Ario?"

"That's what I intend to tell you about. I figured showing it to you first would be better but…" Ariocanas glanced at the brunette who was still spaced out. "I guess not", he joked.

The legs of the brunette suddenly crumbled and Hikaru managed to catch his brother in time before he landed onto the blood. He draped one heavy arm over his shoulder and noticed his brother was still conscious, but just momentarily stunned.

"Ario, what are you?" He asked, very directly.

The blond graciously smiled. "Well, in human terms, I'd be called a vampire." He placed his left hand over his right chest, giving a slight bow. "Isn't it obvious in my name? Ariocanas Vlad Vitus?"

"Vlad… oh my god. That's Russian for vampire", the other teen gasped and Ariocanas gave a wink. Hikaru became silent and chewed his lip a little and the other blond raised a brow in question. "Are you going to kill us?"

The vampire burst out laughing for a second or two before covering his mouth and the hoot turned to a cough. Ariocanas cleared his throat and shook his head. "Of course not. You're my friends. I would never do that", he waved away the question in dismissal.

"I'm seriously confused", Ryo said all of a sudden. The brunette shifted his weight off his younger brother and wiped away the blood on the back of his hand on his black shirt. "If you aren't here to kill us, then what are you here for?"

"Just to watch you guys, make sure you're doing fine yadda yadda…" Ariocanas smiled. "No reason." The blond stared into the distance where a road was with heavy traffic and his ears picked up the distinct wailing of an ambulance. "Heads up…"

Both brothers gave a 'what?' before they dropped to the ground on their knees, hands over their heads. They cried and screamed as if in crucial pain, which was the case as their minds started to ache.

Ariocanas watched as the ambulance drove past, drowning the yells of the two. By the time the white vehicle was out of sight, he looked over his shoulder at the brunette and blond who were unconscious on the grass. He turned to the red moon in the sky before looking almost directly at the sun. However, he glanced a little off-side where the real moon was, in which was indeed, hard to see in midday.

"No reason… huh…"

* * *

progress!! i have a sad announcement. for those who read my other story, soaring heights, i apologetically say that i'm not going to continue it. i'm gonna REWRITE it. due to the personal fact that i know, it contains tons of rubbish. being a slight perfectionist i plan to redo it in a better, more effficient and less PWP way. i apologise and will put up the first prologue of the new story. just keep your eyes open. thankies.

just a head up warning for you guys. like i said the story will become very supernatural later on, maybe in a chap or two or something but the main point is, yes you will be seeing demons and vampires and other shyte. -points upwards- you've met ariocanas. he's an OC of mine for the past... two years or so. he'd only appear for the moment and magically pop into the story time to time, but seeing as what i have planned for the guys -evil laughter- there would be many more random people like masahiro and true OC appearances just to enlighten you. thanks for readin!


	4. White Flames

ReBirth ReVerse Arc: No Reason

**ReBirth ReV****erse Arc: White Flames**

The tall blond exhaled a cloud of smoke when he removed his cigarette from his lips. He lazily opened his eyes and from where he was standing under a tree, in the courtyard of the hospital, looked up into the room where Toya was temporarily set in. According to the doctor, the need for the ambulance had not been necessary, but what was done, was done. Apparently, the redhead had suffered a minor black out due to low sugar level. Seki knew otherwise.

Seeing that the redhead was, no doubt a telepath, he knew the strength expenditure was not little at all. Even his own ability consumes much of his strength. As anything in the world, there was always a limit. Although, he thought Toya might have overdone it a little. He was not that desperate to get Route in jail. Caring about other people's well-being had not been one of his good traits.

Then again, it was not because he was truly like that. Seki came to recall the images he had seen when he shook hands with Toya. In his head, he carefully chronicled the events, starting from a vague picture of a festival. It was definitely a past, since he could only see such. The vision skipped to the entrance of a doorway, before it seemed to slip into a room; two bodies on the floor, bloodied and dead. Nest was a flash, followed by the half-blurred view of a teenage girl and an advancing car.

"Aya…?"

Seki gave a grunt when a familiar emotion of despair and misery hit him. It was a common sort of sensation he would feel for most of his dead victims.

He had come to realize that it had never occurred to him why his memory, in particular, was a blur. Thus far, his memory had never failed him once. The memory of his was highly questionable for most (normal) people. An easily forgotten detail such as a name would hit him even if he never intended to recall. Or maybe the price of a trivial shopping item a month back. Yet, for some reason, he felt like a part of him was forgotten. Something important was somewhere far away.

Seki hissed when a pain shot through his head. He held it lightly, feeling the pulsing feeling fade away. A passing nurse stopped by his side, questioning if he was alright. He managed a nod which had her continue her way across the courtyard.

Giving a sigh of relief and annoyance and he walked out from under the shade of the tree towards the entrance of the hospital, dubbing out his cig in the fine sand provided on top of the bin before he entered.

--

'_Go, Asuka! Get yourself out of here!'_

_Asuka…? Who…_

'_I'm not leaving you!'_

_Was that… the sound of gunfire? There isn't only one…_

'_Look, I don't want to lose you.'_

_Yukita? What is going on?_

'… _Alright. Take care of yourself, Yohji.'_

…_Yohji?_

'_Asuka!!'_

The redhead's eyes snapped open. He stared at a white wall and blinked, realizing it was a ceiling.

"Hey, you okay there?" Someone beside him asked.

Toya turned his head over to his right where the forensic doctor was. The blond had a face slightly washed with worry and he nodded. Then he came to realize that his hand was in Seki's and he stared down.

Seki noticed the gaze and he let go of the hand immediately.

"Sorry. You were fidgeting a bit like you were in a nightmare."

Toya subconsciously raised his hand to his head and brushed against a wet surface, not really caring that it was his sweat.

"Where is this?"

"Hospital. You passed out after… an hour or two back." The blond heard a tiny groan from the redhead. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing… I just never had a liking for hospitals." For some reason, he thought to himself at the back of his head. He pushed himself up and sat against the headboard, wincing a bit when he felt a prickling feeling from the needle in his left arm. "What happened, anyway?"

Seki first gave a shrug, but it was not the kind where he had no answer. He sat back into a chair and rested his elbows on the chair arms, interlacing his fingers. "Low sugar levels. Have you been having a proper diet?"

Toya averted his gaze, rubbing his chin as he tried to recall what he had really been consuming the past few days. "Coffee." And lots of it, he wanted to add, but decided against it.

Seki gave a 'tsk tsk' and waved his index finger. "Caffeine's not good for you."

"Been a bit busy lately to consider eating a meal, I guess", Toya sniffed. He felt his neck itch a little and he adjusted the collar of the white patient-wear. It was a little thin and the room was cold, so he retreated under his blanket in a discrete manner.

"Well, there you have it. Take care of yourself." Seki said as he poured a glass of water and handed it t to Toya. He raised a brow when he caught Toya staring at him as if he was mad. "Yes?"

"Never thought you'd be a caring type", the redhead chuckled a little behind a hand and feeling a little insulted, the blond pouted. "I apologize", Toya coughed and took the cup. "Thank you, for the drink and the advice. I really appreciate it…" He trailed off when his eyes shifted from looking at the other to the area behind Seki, which was a window.

He narrowed his gaze when he saw the same blood red moon. It had yet to shift its position in the sky, but the sun was at a slightly different point from what he remembered.

Seki looked over his shoulder to see what had caught his acquaintance's attention. He was unsure if they were looking at the same thing. He snapped his fingers in front of the other's face which flinched back at the sudden action.

Toya muttered an apology, shifting nervously as he took a sip from the cup.

"Is something the matter?"

"No. Of course not."

"That", Seki said, pointing to his back with his thumb. "The red moon. Do you see it too?"

Eyes widening, the redhead looked up at him. Seeing the other's reaction, Seki knew it was positive and that they both are, in fact, able to see the orb in which others could not.

"You mean you can see it?"

"Yeah, since you heard me say 'too'", Seki shrugged. "Any idea what it is?"

Toya shook his head, lowering his glass and placed it his middle, on top of the knitted blanket. He glanced over at Seki who was looking over his shoulder and seemingly glaring at the foreign object with distaste. He sighed and took another sip.

"I don't like it at all", commented the blond. Toya gave a nod in agreement, saying nothing more. "It's like a bad omen. You know, independence day or something."

Toya gave a tiny smile at Seki's superstition. For a forensic doctor who had to base everything he could find on facts, it never occurred to him that the blond would actually hint his belief of something alien.

There was a knock at the door and the two looked at it. It opened slowly, revealing a woman in her twenties dressed smartly in a red-collared vest and crimson skirt. Everything about her was almost red: lips, clothes, shoes. Even her small handbag was the same color as Toya's hair. For a moment there the latter thought he was going to be reddened to death.

"I apologize for the intrusion, but I would like to have words with the both of you, if you are comfortable with it?" The lady asked, stepping in on her two-inch high-heels and closing the door behind her.

"Since it's the both of us, I presume it has something to do with Route's case?" Seki asked as he leaned back to get himself comfortable. He threw his ankle over his other knee and refrained from shaking the same leg.

"Route? Oh yes, he is currently kept under good watch", she smiled, but it faded. "But he is not of importance of what I am going to tell you. My name is Manx and I am working as a secretary in Kritiker, if you've heard of it." Seki shook his head but Toya did the opposite.

"I've heard of it. Kritiker was the main organization in shutting down the Takatori Enterprise, Estet along with that." The words rolled off his tongue. It struck him dumb, since he had never known such information before. Indeed, he knew an organization by the name of Kritiker existed, but other than that he knew nothing else.

"Very good, Itsuki-san. It looks like your memory is brilliant", Manx clapped slowly.

"What do you mean?"

Manx proceeded to pulling two small business-card sized slips and handed one to each men. "Drop by tomorrow at six-thirty in the evening, if you want to know everything. Both of you." Before either of them had time to process the information on the card, the woman was out of the room, door closed.

"What was that about?" Seki asked with a frown.

Toya stared at the card which was an address under Kritiker. He came to agree with the blond that the red moon could be an omen after all.

--

"Don't you dare touch that!" Ryo snapped at the blond, snatching up a small trophy from the other's hands. Ariocanas pouted but backed off, dropping himself onto the couch and folding his legs under him.

Apparently, according to the so-called vampire, after the brothers had blacked out Ariocanas brought them home (by what method, he had not mentioned). The brunette roused about a quarter of an hour ago but was still currently in a half-fit even after the time-breaking shower of two minutes. Hikaru was still out like a light, sleeping on his own bed courtesy of Ariocanas bringing him in there. What had got the oldest teen on his nerves was how Ariocanas managed to even get into the house.

According to the blond, he had rummaged their bags for the keys, but that was not the problem. It was how he managed to prevent/stop the house alarm. He was sure that only Hikaru and he knew the code to the alarm and they both swore on it that for their safety, would not tell anyone of the password. Ariocanas kept shrugging when Ryo demanded to know how he got through.

He gave up asking the blond, concentrating on making sure the Ariocanas just kept his hands off the merchandise in the house. Ryo grumbled as he dropped to the single-seat couch, downing a glass of juice. As he drank he eyed Ariocanas who was busy glancing around like a dog in a new environment.

"So", Ryo cleared his throat, placing his glass on the coffee table in front of him, successfully getting the other's attention. "You're really a vampire?"

Ariocanas grinned, purposely revealing an elongated fang which was questionably sharp. "Would you like me to prove it?"

The brunette raised a hand, as if an invisible shield kept their distance. "No, never mind. It's still a little… hard to believe though. I mean, you guys really exist?"

The blond yawned, stretching upwards. "But of course. Just because humans _believe_ we don't exist doesn't mean we _don't_ exist." He clasped his hands together and straightened his back. "Any other queries?"

"You have no idea…" Ryo grumbled. He reached over to grab his glass, but had accidentally knocked it instead, sending it sideways and spilling its contents. "Fuck!" He swore by accident. The brunette stood up immediately, about to rush to the kitchen for a towel before the carpet might soak up the drink; cleaning it would be tough if that happened.

However, he stood frozen when he realized he was staring at a stream of orange water, frozen in air like a stalactite hanging from the ceiling. He eyed the stiffened rod of drink.

"Oh. Oops. Do you want me to let it go?" Ariocanas asked.

Ryo shot a baffled look at the vampire who blinked back with genuine innocence.

"How…"

"Telekinesis, if you want to be specific", the blond shrugged. Taking that Ryo did not exactly was juice on his carpet, he manipulated the glass to stand in the correct position before the liquid flowed back in, swirling as normally as it would. "Come on. Don't be surprised. You have a few tricks of yours too, right?" He smiled.

"Those aren't tricks", Ryo half-snarled, but partially impressed at what the vampire can do. He lifted his arm to a right-angle and fisted his hand. As he did so, a metallic hiss sounded as secondary set of claws emerged from between each knuckle. Then, he let his hand drop, hissing a little as they retracted with a minor force feeling like a needle-prick running along the back of his hand. "How do you know about them?"

"I know a lot more than what you think I know, that's for sure. Let you in on a secret: I'm probably five hundred times your age."

Ryo gagged at the vampire. "No way! That'll make you like… Ten thousand…?"

Ariocanas burst out laughing, beating his fist on the couch. "Oh my god your face was priceless!" He threw himself onto the couch, burying his face in it thus not seeing the reddening face of the brunette. When he finally lifted his face, he brushed corners of his eyes as he chuckled. "Naw I'm just kidding. I'm not that old. Just half of it."

"…. Five thousand? Don't kid around. Isn't that still a bit way too old?"

Ariocanas stood up from the couch and randomly danced around. "Do I look old to you?" He asked, and secretly the brunette had to admit that Ariocanas had not a single flaw of one who might be in their fifties in the first place. Accompanied by the fact that the person before him had a mentality of not even a twenty-year old, he hid his face in a hand, taking the embarrassment with him. "Five thousand is nothing compared to the others I've met."

"There are others?"

"You don't expect me to be the only vampire in this world, do you?" Ariocanas raised an eyebrow, as if it was the most obvious fact that even a five-year-old would get.

"Well…"

"There're other vampires like Driscoll, Shin… Oh and there's always Cruz, Siegfried, Eromenos… Thanotos is young so I can't count him as old…" Ariocanas ranted on and Ryo was dumbfounded. Ariocanas waved off the topic and settled back on the couch, lying on his stomach this time. "Anyway, don't bother yourself so much about these yet. You'll meet them soon enough. I bet on it."

"Whoah, hold it. You mean we're gonna be seeing more of you?"

Ariocanas pouted, wondering if that was an intended or accidental insult, but let go of it. "They're not all vampires. Gyah, just wait a while more! You'll understand soon."

"I don't think so", Ryo grimaced,

The idea of meeting other inhuman beings… Ariocanas was more than enough to drive him to the edge with his supposed lack of proper conscience. He has no intention to meet anymore of him. In the first place, why are they going to meet?

As if knowing that the brunette had questioned, Ariocanas spoke. "Don't think about it too much. It's not going to be immediate, but it will be soon." Ariocanas got up on his knees and draped himself over the backrest of the couch, looking out the window. "Don't you want to know why the moon is red and why others can't see it?"

Ryo was instantly all-ears. Ariocanas looked over at him with a grin. "Because it's not the human realm's moon. It belongs to the other world's." He pointed to the moon. "Over there, do you see the normal moon?"

The brunette's vision fought against the flame-colored sky and caught sight of the normal moon, white in color. "That's the moon in both realms."

"What realm? A demon one or something?"

"Intelligent being. Close, but not really a demon's." Ariocanas hopped off the couch and stood beside the brunette who shifted a little due to the uncomfortable proximity between the two, but Ariocanas was not giving an intention of flirting or anything. Instead, he pointed down to the coffee table. Ryo looked down at it.

"See the reflection of the glass, you and me?" He asked. Ryo gave a slight nod. "What difference do you see?"

The brunette stared for a while. Everything was the same, but remembering the difference between the two moons… "The table is brown?"

"Exactly. The other realm is another world; a mirror of this place, but of a slight difference. There are things there which do not exist here."

"You mean like you? A vampire…"

"Anything and everything is possible there; vampire, dragons, you name it. Try opening up your imagination a little. Everything from mythologies to legends are facts. Basically, the bottom line is: nothing's impossible. Remember that and you're less likely to die of a heart-attack."

"Gee, thanks for the advice", Ryo grumbled. "I still don't see how it has got to do with us."

"Oh it has a lot of things to do with you. As cliché as this may get, both worlds would be needing you, Hikaru and two other people. Of course, the decision is always your if you want to be hero and 'save the world'." Ariocanas smiled as the glass, now empty, rose into the air. Ryo watched it with suspicion as it floated.

"Who are these two other people?"

"What, you've forgotten them already?" The blond blinked. Then, he shook his head. "Right. I forgot…"

"What? There're more secrets?" Ryo muttered, clearly discontent with the situation.

"To simply put it, you four were genetically engineered, obviously for a purpose. Can you remember Kritiker?"

"No. Am I supposed to know it?"

"Hm… let's have a different approach." Ariocanas got himself comfortable back on the couch on his stomach, the glass hovering in the air above his palms. "Tell me what you remember; everything, as far as you can into your past."

"How far is far?" The brunette scratched his head. "I don't know… All I do know, or remember for that matter, is that we've been living here since two years ago. Both our parents are in America…"

"That's crap", Ariocanas cut in. "Seriously. Okay, how about an event when you were say… fifteen?"

"Fifteen…" Ryo brought a hand up to his lip as he thought hard. For him, his mind was blank as he stared at the juice. He kept totally silent for almost a full five minutes and the blond tapped his shoulder. "I can't remember… Why is that?"

Ariocanas narrowed his gaze all of a sudden. Noticing it, Ryo tilted his head in wonder why the blond had a serious face. "Oi?"

Without a word the blond stood up and headed towards the door.

"Hey, where are you going?" Ryo asked as he got up from his seat as well.

"I'm leaving first. Tell Hikaru I'll see him in school tomorrow", he smiled and walked out the door.

Confused, the brunette just sat back down on the couch, looking over his shoulder into his younger brother's room where he was, still asleep.

--

Ariocanas whistled as he stepped away from the soccer field. A strong breeze swept past and he looked above at the skies. The red moon was still as vibrant as the crimson of blood. And speaking of blood, he smirked at the memory of ten minutes ago as he brushed his cheek with the back of his hand, feeling a cold liquid smudge.

After he left the apartment, he was approached with a group of smartly dressed men in suits, standing in front of a black limo. He threw them a smile, in which they never returned. Naturally he was about to walk away, but one of them grabbed his arm. He refrained from giving a glare at the guy a head taller than him and jerked his arm.

"_Look, I don't know who you guys are, but leave me alone", he faked the trembling voice. _

"_You are to come with us", the one holding onto him said. The guy proceeded to drag him to the car, but Ariocanas managed to break free giving a smirk to the five guys. _

"_How about you follow me?" He asked. _

_Unfortunately for the men, they were all startled when their initial surrounding of blocks and streets turned into a field with fences. Without hesitation they pulled their guns out and pointed at the blond._

"_You actually think that would stop me?" Ariocanas scoffed. _

"_You are one of them!" One of the men barked._

"_One of what?" The blond asked slowly. "You mean Devil?"_

"_Shoot him!" Another ordered and they swiftly cocked their guns, taking no less a time to pull the triggers. _

_Ariocanas merely side-stepped each and caught one in his hand. When he opened, he winced slightly at the corroding act in his palm and he flicked the silver liquid away. _

"_You guys are pretty advanced, it seems. Kritiker, I'm presuming?" _

"_Glad you know who we are. Are you sure of what we do, though?" _

_Ariocanas stared at the one who spoke for a moment before smirking. "Hunt the dark beast's tomorrow."_

Looking over his shoulder, he made sure that the bodies were flamed. It flickered with an ivory shade and he knew no one in this world would be able to see it, even though the white flames burned to about seven feet high. Even the grass underneath the heat was untouched. They would not leave a mark to even prove that they were there.

Taking them down was obviously no problem at all. Along with that, the information running through their heads was more than enough to find out what Kritiker's motive was going to be. Never in Hell would he allow it.

--

The teenage blond shuffled nervously as he eyed the clock above the whiteboard before side-glancing to the empty seat. Even though Ryo had told him that Ariocanas passed the message of seeing him today, he had not seen the blond at all. School was going to end in about five minutes and he had just received an anonymous message of 'meet you at the school gates'.

He was anxious to meet up with the blond and he prayed that Ariocanas would be more than ready to answer his numerous questions. His brother had even told him of what had happened when he was sleeping and needless to say he was infuriated.

Once the bell rung and against his usual habit of being courteous and saying a bye to his teacher, he grabbed his backpack and dashed out of the classroom before anyone else did. In the crowded hallway, he squeezed through the wave of people who were exiting classrooms and finally got to the front yard.

Hikaru made his way to the front gate and looked around, wondering where Ariocanas was. To his left were a group of men in suits, but he ignored them as he thought they were waiting for their boss's rich kid or something. He pulled his phone out with a grumble and reconfirmed the message.

He saw a shadow cast over his phone and he yelped when an hand grabbed his arm and pulled him away. Stunned by the sudden action, he resisted and pulled his arm back.

"What do you want?!" He barked, backing off a little as two of the guys in suits continued approaching.

"It will be better for you if you don't resist."

Hikaru was tempted to gawk at them. Here they were trying to drag him away and they expected him to not do anything?

Passers-by were staring at them and the blond opted to run away. However, he saw a familiar face through the tinted window of the limo and he stood there frozen. Ryo was in the car, unconscious and leaning against the window.

Lowering his guard, one of the men had their hold on the blond and he yelled, trying to break them off. From the corner of his eyes, the other pulled out a syringe and he swallowed, knowing clearly what they were about to do.

"Heads up!"

The men with the syringe paused and the three glanced upwards and Hikaru was more thankful than ever that Ariocanas was there, standing on the brick ledge two meters high. The blond threw a grin down at them and jumped down, using the guy holding the syringe as cushion.

Ariocanas picked the syringe up and jabbed it into the guy's neck and got up, watching him writhe before lying there unmoving. Hikaru heard the man beside him curse and let him go, his hand reaching from under his vest and the blond gasped when a black gun was pulled out.

"Ario!" He shouted as a warning and everyone around was screaming and running away, leaving the three by themselves.

"At last, you son of a bitch, dare to step out before us?"

"Hey, watch it. I have yet to say anything about you guys and you're pushing the blame to me? Have you even done your proper researching of who's the bad guy?" Ariocanas scoffed, placing his hands on his hips. "Well, I don't think so. Persia's becoming a lazy bastard, isn't he? And like always set his dogs loose in town."

"You have no right to insult him! He has been keeping the city safe from the people with the likes of _you_."

"Ariocanas gave a shocked look, placing a hand on his chest. "I'm insulted. What did I ever do?"

"First off, you're not supposed to be here. Next, all the killings of our members are done by you."

"If you left me alone, that would be a different thing. You just came digging your own graves with the speed of ten folds placing yourselves before me and pointing that stupid gun", he pointed.

The man did not take the insult very well and fired. Hikaru shouted, jumping over and grabbing the arm. Ariocanas dodged the bullet and ran up, using the chance to steal the gun away and fired a shot into the guy's thigh. He screamed in pain, tumbling to the ground when the two backed away. Ariocanas, annoyed, dismantled the gun and tossed it to the ground.

"Find a more efficient way to kill me. I'll look forward to it", he said before jamming his heel into the guy's injured spot, making him cry out even louder. "And tell Persia what he's doing is not always right." Ariocanas pulled away and grabbed Hikaru's arm, heading to the car and opening the door, pulling Ryo out.

"Nii!" Hikaru called out as he shook the older teen. The brunette showed no response.

"It's okay. Let's get back to your house", the blond said. "I'd never thought they would advance this quickly, but I guess due to the time constrain…:

"Ariocanas!" Hikaru half-yelled, catching the blond's attention pretty easily, since he never really called out his entire name unless it was important or crucial. "Get to the point", he said angrily.

Ariocanas, on the other side of the brunette, sighed and began to walk. Reluctantly, Hikaru did the same or else his older brother would be hanging in the air.

"Look, it's not that I don't want to tell you straight out. I really do. It sucks to keep everything to yourself, but believe me, it's for the better."

"For the better or not", the blond grumbled. "Just spill it. I know I won't be able to understand everything at first either, but at least tell me the gist of it so I'd be prepared… somehow…"

Ariocanas gave a sigh of defeat and adjusted the arm across the back of his neck. "Kritiker is trying to get the both of you back in their business. They've already gotten two members… or at least close to", he glanced upwards and cursing under his breath. "There isn't much time left. When the moons align with each other the four of you had better be together. I don't have the ability to play poof with you guys."

"Four of us? Who're the other two?"

The vampire smacked his forehead in recollection. "I forgot." He removed his hand. "First thing's first: Kritiker altered your memories. Technically know you should recall nothing about who you were. Does the name 'Omi Tsukiyono' ring a bell anywhere?"

The blond stared ahead, thinking a while before shaking his head.

"What about Ken Hidaka?"

"Ken…?" Hikaru trailed off, slowing his speed. Doing the same Ariocanas gave the finger to a bunch of guys who were jeering at them from across the road.

The blond kept silent as they continued making their way back to the apartment. For Hikaru, it had never occurred to him to even think about what had happened. But as indirectly as Ariocanas might have put it, he silently agreed that there was something fishy going on. However, everything in Ryo and his life was… normal. They had 'parents'; they were just overseas. They send them money every now and then.

His school was normal… but he did not have any friends. If he 'remembered', he should be there for almost three years already, but had no one close. Ariocanas was the first to approach him, but others avoided him. Ryo was okay, having a few soccer buddies and kids. However, once he overhead a boy asking if Ryo was Ken…

Ken…. The name was awfully familiar to him. Imagining his brother with this name was questionable, but they did fit quite well. He kept repeating the name over and over in his head… Comrade… Ran… Yohji… Ken…

The image of his brother with his bladed attachment was slightly different. He was wearing gloves which had claws, but they were dripping with blood. Then a picture formed in his head. This 'Ken' stood in front of a body. A body fallen and a pool of blood. The brunette stared in his hands, muttering 'Kase'. The dying person gave a smile, saying: "See you in hell, Ken."

"Ken-kun?!" The blond suddenly blurted and Ariocanas jumped, surprised. They stopped in the middle of the pathway, taking up most of the space. People around them, with an annoyed look, went around for a detour.

Hikaru bit his lower lip and raked a hand through his hair, raising his head and facing the sky. "I remember… all of them. Ran-kun, Yohji-kun, Ken-kun too… Weiss, Kritiker… Everything…"

"-but yourself", Ariocanas cut in. "If I'm not wrong you should be able to remember almost everything about your comrades more than what you can remember of yourself. That's what happened to the person called 'Yohji' and 'Ran'." Ariocanas rubbed his chin, thinking. "It's going to be hard to digest _everything_, you know. You sure you want me to go on?"

Hikaru dropped his head and nodded without hesitation and Ariocanas sighed at the trouble he would have to go through.

"You know Kritiker's all-time favorite line: 'Deny the dark beasts' of their tomorrow'? They mean it literally. Not always, since most of the people you assassinate are just normal humans. However, do recollect the fact that you four were the ones who were Kritiker's key to bringing Takatori Reiji and Estet to their downfall.

"Takatori wasn't just working with the bad guys. Estet is actually an organization brought together by Devils. You don't expect all these telepathy and telekinesis things to be possible among humans now, do you? That's why they have Schwarz. None of them, except Berserk, is human. Seeing that Estet members were so-called superior to humans, Takatori made a contract with them, profiting himself in the process. Schwarz was handed down to be his bodyguards in return of Takatori's aid financially.

"And so the story goes, you guys finish of Takatori and there comes along Estet's three heads of ridiculous 'eternal life'… That's just a cover ritual by the way. Their fullest intention was to use human blood to bind the other realm with the one here so that could have a few more extra minions working for them."

"Other realm and minions?"

"Oh yes, I told your brother but not you…Take it like a coin. One side is your world, the other is mine, but both are interlinked someway or another. Minions such as demons, in your case like animals, don't have the ability to cross worlds unless there is a medium linking both places. Obviously, to Estet, just being an organization here isn't enough. They obviously have the intention to rule this realm as well."

"By link, don't you mean that humans can go there too?"

"There are some, if they are in a way related to a Devil as a lover or friend. But think about it, how many Devils do you actually know?"

Hikaru gave a sheepish reply of 'one'.

"Exactly. We aren't common dwellers", Ariocanas cough and cleared his throat, intending to dismiss the previous topic. "Anyway, as I was saying, you guys managed to pull it off. They failed the ritual and Kritiker is now trying to maintain peace in the wrong way. To them, the four of you had the capability to going against Devils and they want to keep it that way. They aren't letting go of any of you anytime soon.

"Then, there's a catch: in order to make you guys be _truly_ able to fight against Devils, they made you into them, themselves", Ariocanas said with a smile. "Thus you have all these wicked things of claw appearing and other stuff… I'm sure you have one too."

"Ken-kun's weapon _was_ a bugnuk… " Hikaru chewed on his lip a little. "Did they alter us to whatever weapons we are accustomed to?"

The vampire gave a grin, as if knowing the obvious answer. "What do you think? Surprise me, Hikaru, with what they have given you."

The teen sighed at first. They finally reached the apartment and by the time they had entered, Ryo was stirring about a little. They left him on the couch while the two friends took to the balcony overlooking the streets and seeing no one, Hikaru prepared himself to reveal his own secret.

Having hand out and palm facing up, he concentrated on adjusting the blood flow through his arm. As he felt the pressure slowing, he tensed his hand, making it look as if he was spending all his strength on a stress ball.

Ariocanas standing in front of him gave a whistle of impress when a fine, two inch-length needle with the slightest hint of red rose from the other's palm. Curious, he picked it up, only to find that it just dispersed and left a tiny red stain on his fingers.

"I've never… tried it on anyone before I guess. I have no idea how to use it anyway."

"If Kritiker really did make you into something better based on your old weapons, I reckon it's got to be something to do with a needle."

Hikaru rolled his eyes as his friend stated the obvious.

"No, I'm serious. Okay, how about you… aim for that tiny flower pot?" Ariocanas asked, pointing across the street to a three inch tall pot with a small cactus. The other blond shook his head, not intending to ruin someone else's property. "Come on, 'karu. It's the only way to find out, right?"

Giving in with a grumble, he softly apologized to whoever owned the pot and formed a few of the needles and lashing his arm, sending them flying.

Nothing happened at first. The needles were too thin to be visibly hitting the pot, but confirmed a bull's-eye when it shattered. Hikaru ran back into the house away from a yell from the opposite balcony and Ariocanas remained there laughing and praising the blonde.

"That was so cool! Did you hear the old man?" The taller blond continued laughing and Hikaru muttered about not doing that again. "Oh come on", Ariocanas draped an arm over the other. "At least you know your aim is perfectly flawless."

Hikaru shrugged off the hand. "That's not the point. It wasn't nice destroying other people's stuff, you know…"

"It's a flower pot. Hey, it _was_ about time that the owner got a bigger pot for that overgrown cactus."

Hikaru stared at Ariocanas for a while, contemplating whether to continue arguing or letting the matter rest. Then again, it was true that the cactus' roundness was almost tipping to the side due to the confined space. Giving a sigh, he decided to let the matter go.

Both of them heard a groan and they turned to find Ryo rubbing his head, trying to shake of the effects of the tranquilizing. Hikaru nudged Ariocanas at the elbow and the blond grumbled when he knew what he meant: he had to retell the entire story and knock some memory into the guy.

* * *

uh.. i apologise if everything is a sudden blurt out to ya... i'm no good with progressing slowly.. thus i sometimes get meaningless things happening around here... okays more secrets are let out!! but here's the catch of the catch!! if kritiker the bad guys or Ario? find out yourself now haha...

thank reviewers! i love you guys


	5. It's Too Late

**ReBirth ReVerse Arc: It's Too Late**

The entire one-man conversation took even longer due to the fact that Ryo was half awake and only partially processing whatever was delivered to him. The brunette digested everything a little too slowly; it got Ariocanas annoyed. However, the latter could no blame Ryo either, since everything was so sudden like a tennis ball smacking into his face.

Ryo finally came to understand why he had the 'implants'. Ariocanas corrected him however, that the formation of his 'claws' were a complex bond of his body's metals alloying with diamond fragments. Obviously, the diamond would prove him no harm as it was relatively not reactive due to the alteration to his body chemicals. The brunette was grimacing throughout the explanation, knowing nuts about scientific facts, making the other laugh a little.

"Just how do you know all these things, anyway?" Ryo asked. "You say everything as if they were memorized off the top of your head. Plus, you know things like what Estet did and what Kritiker is doing now. It's highly suspicious…"

"I have my ways", Ariocanas replied with a smile, the statement being a favorable trademark of his. "I don't intend to flaunt what I can do."

"What _can_ you do? Apart from the making-object-float-thing."

Ariocanas shrugged, leaving them hanging. "I'd be worrying more about what Kritiker can do. They're a step closer to accomplishing their motto."

"But", Hikaru interjected. "If Kritiker modified the four of us to half-Devils, why did they have to erase our memory?"

"Safety purposes, of course. You're most likely to retaliate if you know something un-nice if going to happen to you right? So what better ways to make you control your gifts by making it look as if you've had it all along?" Ariocanas shifted on the couch a little, removing his leg before it started cramping up. "Of course, the removal of past recollection thing lasts only for a while. Kritiker had the fullest intention of pulling you four back together."

"Why now? Everything's so sudden", Hikaru frowned. Ryo did the same, crossing his arms over his chest looking slightly worried. "Has it got to do with the red moons?"

"Quick minded as usual, 'Karu. Yep, when the moons align, they temporarily open the gates to both realms. That happens every five hundred years, by the way. Lucky you."

"Not funny. What's going to happen when the gates open?" Ryo asked seriously.

"What happens to the zoo if you let the gates open?" Ariocanas asked back, but before any of the two brothers could answer, he said "Stampede of animals, in this case, Demons."

The other two took a while to process the words. Both were lost in deep thoughts and Ariocanas yawned.

"So Kritiker isn't doing a bad thing, is it? Well, yeah it's not cool for them to do these things to us but it's for a good thought… right?"

Ariocanas shrugged, saying that it was up to them to perceive the case.

"They could always just be using you."

"Oi", Ryo called out, catching the vampire's attention. "Are you just worried that Kritiker will get us to kill you as well?"

Ariocanas scoffed really loudly, giving blanching noise. "No way." He paused. "Then again that's always possible. I am a Devil race, after all", he laughed.

"You don't seem too worried."

"I pursue my problems with the outmost calmness", the blond replied and stood up. "Anyway, what I think is that Kritiker is just benefiting themselves and letting you choose to be who you want to be was your own choice."

"You're pushing everything to Kritiker, aren't you?" Ryo frowned. Although he had yet to remember everything, he did not recall any of Kritiker's intentions to be evil. From his perspective, Ariocanas was the suspicious figure here…

The brunette stiffened when the vampire gave a cold grin towards him.

"And what if I am?" Ariocanas asked back, walking to the door. "An enemy is an enemy, unless you would like to help me change that fact?"

--

Hikaru peered over at the brunette who was hunched over, elbows on his knees and head dropped. It had been fifteen minutes from the time Ariocanas left them hanging. It was also the fifteen minutes that there was utter silence in the apartment. The blond leaned back into the couch, mentally sighing.

"He's starting to get on my nerves", Ryo commented.

Hikaru frowned at the slight insult directed to his friend, although it was not seen by the other.

"I hate him _and _Kritiker. Both of them are crazy."

"I don't know what's going on either, but we shouldn't be judging until we know the truth, right?"

"Easier said than done", Ryo growled. "First, the red moon, next we find one of your friends is some kind of monster-"

"He's not a monster!" Hikaru cut in with a slightly louder voice.

"Whatever he is! Kritiker just tried to nab us back into base and Mr. Vampire back there just turned the tables!" Ryo, out of rage, smacked his fist down onto the glass table. It shattered immediately and Hikaru yelled at his brother, not out of anger but concern.

Hikaru stepped over and grabbed his brother's hand, lifting it up. It had started bleeding and fragments of glass were embedded like ornaments. Ryo had not even flinched. He grabbed some tissues from the box on the other end of the half-broken table and gently cleaned away the blood trails.

"God… why can't our lives ever be normal?" The brunette hissed.

The other paused in what he was doing. He remembered Ken saying that among his lines after Kase's death. He had a chance to flee reality and lead a normal life is he had left Japan with Yuriko. However, Yohji had brought him back to the real reality. Ken would never be able to escape his past, or amend for it.

"Ken-kun…" The name slipped softly.

Ryo looked up at the blond who had a slightly spaced look. "Hikaru", he called out, catching the other's attention back.

"Nii, we have to go find Kritiker", he said all of a sudden. Ryo gagged at the abrupt statement, giving a 'why', followed by a reminder of what they were about to do to them not long ago. "I know, but we have to find out Kritiker's true motive before we can make our decisions, right?"

"You're just siding Ariocanas aren't you?" Ryo said with a frown on his face.

Hikaru gave a look of disbelief. "No! I just don't want to end up… you know, hurting either party."

"Look, Hikaru, this has nothing to do with us so let's just leave it as it is", Ryo pulled his hand back from the other, ignorant to the pain. He stood up and did not even other to watch out for the pieces of glass on the floor and walked away.

Hikaru stared at the back of Ryo. The same silhouette he had seen and remembered. It was always full of dismay, regret and everything except anything positive. It was the same as Ken.

"Are you going to run away, again?!" Hikaru shouted.

Ryo turned around, a little surprised at the tone of the usually gentle person.

"That's all you've ever done, Ken."

"Who's Ken-"

"Don't you remember anything yet?" The blond snapped. "Tsukiyono Omi, Fujimiya Ran, Kudoh Yohji. Did you forget everything?!"

The brunette gave a puzzled look. "Hikaru, calm down", Ryo said.

The teen shook his head. "I'm going to Kritiker and I will find out for myself if they are worth trusting."

--

Seki raised a hand in greeting to the redhead who had just stepped out of the white Porsche which was parked beside his Seven. Toya nodded in response, walking over.

The two stood before a building about five stories high and considerably wide. The venue of such a massive building was, however, questionable as it was in the outskirts of the city, sticking out like a sore thumb in the forest.

It was already dark enough as it was close to night and the trees were creating a barrier from the moonlight. The building itself gave no source of light.

Manx was at the main doorway at exactly 6.30. They all greeted each other with an 'evening' before the lady lead them in, telling them to watch their step.

Toya was giving away his curiosity and anxiety as he kept looking around. Only Seki noticed it as Manx was ahead leading the way. He could not blame the redhead; this place was highly suspicious and scary at the same time.

The interior was like a prison; door after door. The width of the walkway could probably cause claustrophobia. There were no numbers, no furniture. Just doors. The paint peeled from every visible corner and it was darker than dark. They could hardly see two meters ahead. The floor was rough under their shoes and they occasionally dipped into a hole or stumble over a rock. Seki wondered how Manx actually got around without tripping on those heels.

After about five minutes they reached an elevator. They took it up to the highest floor and walked past another series of doors. As if out of a lucky guess, Manx just stood in front of one of the doors, inviting them to enter.

Seki offered to go in first, followed by Toya. Manx stepped in as well, putting the two a little at ease. A small flicker of lighting caught their attention and they saw a single candle. It lit the room by a fair bit and beside the candle were objects.

They jumped when a soft static noise sounded. A small television flickered on and static was screened first, before it went away and revealed a dark silhouette of someone.

"Itsuki Toya and Yukita Seki, I appreciate your efforts and time to make it here.

I am Persia and I am the head officer of the organization Kritiker. What I am about to tell you may seem extraordinary, but take into consideration that it will involve your lives."

Seki and Toya threw each other a look, before back at the television where 'Persia' continued to speak.

"A year ago there was a formation of a foreign organization by the name of Estet. They were not of human blood, but by of Devil's. They went against the rules of the human nature with the intention of summoning of the dark beasts from the other realm; where they had originated from.

"Four assassins were sent to hinder the ritual. They were successful, and Kritiker had specially recognized these individuals. To further ensure that such beings are not allowed to roam again, we have developed a way to enhance these men's skills and ability. They are equipped with the abilities which several Devils may have.

"Both of you have been successfully modified to become half-Devils. You braced against all odds which incurred during the mutation and are now standing here, well and alive. We hope you cooperate with us, Itsuki, Yukita."

The television immediately went back to a black screen after the names. Manx walked over to the candle, knowing that the two were still trying to digest her boss's words.

"Is that why we're 'different'?" Toya asked, without looking at her.

Manx gave no reply and Seki walked over, pulling her shoulder so that they faced each other. However, when he did so, his emerald eyes widened at the sight of trails of tears along her cheek. They glistened in the dim lighting of the candle flame.

The female redhead brushed away the tears and shrugged off the hand on her shoulder. She turned to the objects wrapped in a cloth and handed it to Seki.

"These will help you", she said flatly and started to walk away. Just as she opened the door, she looked over her shoulder. "Don't make the wrong decisions, Ran, Yohji." Before either of the two could say a word she as out the door.

Dumbfounded, Toya went to door which was left ajar and winced at the pitch black darkness. He could hear her heels echo in the hallway, but which direction she headed off to was unclear. He looked over his shoulder and shook his head, signaling to Seki that she was gone.

The blond wanted to nod, but could not. He wondered why she had cried. Toya may not have seen it, though. He glanced down at the cloth. Whatever object it was inside, it was long, almost a meter in length. Not wanting to waste his time, he unwrap the cloth and by clumsiness, let the objects fall to the ground.

They clattered noisily and Seki swore he could feel Toya glaring at him a little. He bent down and picked the objects up. Toya came over with an interest of knowing what they had received. In Seki's hands were two katana and a whip.

"What? Souvenirs?"

"Weapons", Toya corrected, also stating the obvious. He picked both the katana up and held the two sheaths between his fingers on one hand while the other pulled one sword out.

It slipped out smoothly, giving a small hiss. The sword had been a perfect length for him to pull out without having to overstretch his arm too far. Seki gave a whistle as it glinted orange from the candle flame. Toya noticed that there was a fang-shaped cut-out three inches before the curve of the bladed side near the end. The base of the handle had a string and a feather which was split for an inverted 'V'.

"Could I exchange with you?" Seki asked, out of wittiness.

Toya looked over at the ship Seki had in his hand. It was not the ordinary kind of whip with a handle and a long tail structure. It had nine thinner ones. They were also metallic color and they were probably really long, seeing as the number of coils it had to go through.

"No", Toya replied.

The blond shrugged and let the coils go, seeing the whip strands pool at the floor. He groaned at the sight of them looking tangled on the ground and he raised the whip to eye-level, examining the weapon. The handle was wrapped in leather providing a well-friction grip and at the edge of the handle was a head of some sort of animal. It was too dark and straining to look at something two inch big.

Seki moved on and tugged at one of the whip-tails, testing its tensile strength. They were highly taught and even gave a metallic hiss as he ran his fingers along the strand. Then he discovered something.

"They're wires", he said out loud. Toya looked up from the katana he was inspecting. Seki caught the questionable look and pointed. "They're coiled. A bundle of them pleated to form one tail."

"Let's go. This place gives me the chills", Toya said as he slid the katana back into its sheath. Seki nodded and wondered how he was supposed to the keep the lengthy wires… That was until the wires seemed to have retreat into the handle he was holding.

"Did you see that?"

Toya gave a 'no' and walked out. Seki cursed softly and took bigger strides to keep up with the redhead.

The finally made their way out of the building, breathing in the fresh air. They took a few steps out and paused when they heard a soft choking noise. The shuffling of leaves and cracking twigs caught their attention. A few seconds later they heard a woman's voice shouting, followed by a series of gunshots.

"Manx!" Seki said and ran in the direction of the voice. Toya followed closely behind as they made their way through the thickets. Another gunshot sounded, a little louder. The both of them came in an open view where a stream was and Manx was standing there.

"Manx-" The blond was about to advance, but was stopped when Toya stretched his arm out.

Then, Manx fell backwards. The gun in her hand fell and her body went limp, dropping to the floor with a thud. There, another person stood over her body, and as if aiding their visions, the clouds shifted away letting the moonlight brighten the area.

A blonde was standing there with a bloody hand. A pair of sea-green eyes looked at them before a smile was formed.

"Finally, I've found you two."

"Who the hell are you?!" Seki yelled.

"Ariocanas. I'm your comrade's friend. You know, Tsukiyono Omi?" The blond said again.

Seki gave a glance at Toya who shook his head, not knowing that person.

"Don't give us shit. Why did you kill her?"

Ariocanas wiped his hand on his black pants and started walking up to the duo. "I just saved you. The least you could do is thank me."

Toya unsheathed one of his katana and pointed it in the direction of the blond; Ariocanas stopped his advance.

"Fine. Be that way", Ariocanas sniffed, before giving a sly grin. He broke into a dash, running along side the waters. Toya gave the chase while Seki went up to the woman on the ground.

She was already dead by the time he reached her. Seki grimaced with rage when he saw the vital organ of a heart on the pebbled ground beside her. Ariocanas had ripped her heart out.

The blond took a deep breath and touched her forehead. He rummaged through her memories up to the point when she had told them before she stepped out of the room. It continued until she had walked out of the building as well. Ariocanas had been standing there. The last thing he managed to catch was Ariocanas smiling.

Suddenly, he felt a wave of discomfort rushing into his brain. He let the contact break and he found himself panting in recovery. His eyes were wide with shock and his hand was trembling.

Toya came back, breathing slightly heavier from the run. He had lost the blond in less than ten seconds. Ariocanas made a dart into the woods and was gone.

He looked ahead to see Seki kneeling beside the woman, then a flash of his vision showed the blond with a different woman, a dark-haired one. He blinked again to have it revert back to Manx.

Seki looked up at him sideways.

"I lost him. He just…disappeared."

"He's not human", Seki said abruptly. "He took her heart out with his bare hand."

Toya winced at the sight of the red organ and turned away. "A Devil, perhaps? Persia said they existed."

"Maybe", Seki replied. He reached for Manx's hands and placed them on her chest, one over the other. "Whatever he is, he's on my to-kill list."

The redhead nodded, before turning his head to the sound of shuffling. A group of men in tuxes emerged from the forest, guns in hands. Seki got back up to his feet and eyed one of them who approached. He was young in comparison to the rest, probably about their age. A little shorter with dark blue hair tied into a low pony-tail.

The man looked down at Manx's unmoving body and he dropped his head a little.

"We're too late…"

"Ariocanas killed her."

The man nodded. "We know. We received her emergency call and rushed to her as quickly as we could, but we found her phone in the middle of the forest and lost her. We followed the last gunfire and well, we found you."

"Any idea why Ariocanas killed her?"

"He would kill anyone in Kritiker. He's a Devil, you see. Kritiker has been trying to hunt him down for eternity." He signaled for his men to take Manx away.

"Is he the reason why Kritiker has been modifying humans?" Toya asked.

Toshiie nodded. "Partially, though he is taking up more than half of the reason. As you've seen, he's capable of doing inhuman acts and even more. Three quarters of Kritiker, and that being almost two hundred people, have died in his hands."

Seki swore at the brutality of the Devil.

Toshiie invited them to Kritiker's home base, their cars transported back to their homes. In the limousine, Seki and Toya sat opposite Toshiie and another man who had a small moehog for hair and a pair of dark shades.

"So, tell us more about Ariocanas."

Toshiie smiled at the blonde's interest in the murderous figure, but found that Toya was not as keen. "Ariocanas is a vampire, to be exact. He doesn't go around feeding off people like the usual tales we hear, though. He began his advance on us since the time Estet fell.

"We have the assumption that he is, naturally, aiding his own kind. Other than that, if there are other reasons, it is unknown. No one knows, as those who met him are now six feet under. If we are lucky, we could find their bodies. Others would have funerals without the dead himself."

"That's not…" Seki paused and thought of how to rephrase his words. "I mean, we saw him, but we're not dead."

"You saw him?!" Toshiie asked, shocked. Even the calm guy beside him showed signs of disbelief from the folding of the skin on his forehead. "No one ever lived to say anything about him-"

"Actually, there are", Toshiie's comrade said with a cough. "But they don't recall anything. They remember meeting him, but his appearance, his voice, they said they couldn't remember."

"Whoah, but still, what did he look like?" Toshiie asked, sitting near the edge of the seat.

Seki was slightly amused at this guy's interest. "He's blond, shoulder-length hair. About your height… Your facial expression makes it look as if you are eager to meet him."

"I do, in fact. Everyone in Kritiker wants to, but obviously not for a positive aspect. However, I was just hoping that if I ever do meet him, at least hear from him the reason why he keeps killing us."

"He's probably a sick, demented fool", Seki snorted, leaning back against the seat and crossing his arms. "How far are we from Kritiker's base?"

"About fifteen minutes?"

--

"Sick and demented?!" Ariocanas blurted out. He gave a sarcastic look to no one as he watched three black limousines drive past under the tree he was sitting on. Ariocanas looked over his shoulder and watch the vehicles disappear behind a cloud of leaves and started swinging his legs back and forth.

He looked up at the sky where the moons were only hours apart from being aligned and he sighed. From the back of his head, he heard a woman's voice. Manx, if he recalled carefully.

She called his name and he looked to the side where a faded white mist was and he smiled.

_Thank you_

"You're welcome. It's not everyday you meet someone who wants to die."

_I will, eventually. Whether is it in your hands or Persia's_

"You don't regret the decision?"

_Devils may be__ brutal, but humans can still be scarier_

Ariocanas laughed and swung both his legs in time with each other, like being on a swing. "To a certain extent, yes."

_Persia will send Yohji and Ran to kill you. Ken may just be on their side and Omi…_

"Omi won't, but I would be still up against those three. Don't worry. I can handle them."

Ariocanas looked up at the mist which was now before him and he felt something ghostly and cold touch his cheek.

_Please, save them, and Persia. _

"I will", he said and closed his eyes.

_You're very nice_

"And you're very beautiful", he whispered. The feeling went way and he opened his eyes, looking back up at the moons.

There was another whisper of thanking and he got up, standing on the branch. He stretched his arms upwards and took a deep breath.

"Well now. Let's finish up what we started, shall we?"

* * *

did i just... splattered everything into your face? i'm sort of afraid everythings occuring too suddenly for you to keep up lols.. sorry for the lateness lady i have exams wtf?! i should be over it by now!! gyaaahhhh wait for the next update.. ask if you have queries... thanks for reviews i like em XDD

oh yes it's time to pick a side! Kritiker, the new Weiss or Ario!! but frankly speaking Ariocanas isn't very nice either so... but he's one cool guy i have XDD


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